Syracuse University

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Public Relations
Minor: Information Management & Technology
Student Self Identifies as: Asian Heterosexual Female

Summary

I’m involved in Service Dogs at Syracuse. I’m in a sorority. I’m in Edge, which is a two-semester Public Relations group.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Asian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

I’m graduating a year early
High School Experience: I went to a public school in Georgia with a graduating class of about 500-600 students. There was a strong culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Public Relations
Minor: Information Management & Technology

Extracurricular Activities: I volunteer at a food bank every Friday morning, which turned into me joining Alpha Phi Omega, which is the community service fraternity. I’m involved in Service Dogs at Syracuse. I’m in a sorority. I’m in Edge, which is a two-semester Public Relations group. The first semester you learn about skills you need in PR and then the second semester you work with a real client.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
I think definitely the community service aspect has turned into the community service fraternity.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
We have a lot of reading, but I think a lot of it is applied. So, we’ll read about and sort of understand a concept and then apply it. For example, if we’re learning about a corporate communications job we’ll be given an assignment to play out what you would be doing if you had this job and if there were conflicts or if you had this role in a certain type of company. We also have some presentations.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I think it’s very good because everything is very hands on and you’re getting real-world experience without actually doing it in the real world. [For example], they’ll give use a conflict resolution case where you really see both sides and then you have to write a press release.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think the major and the school that I’m in is very competitive because we all have a similar goal in that we know what we want to do with this major to an extent. [I think it’s collaborative in that] we are in this learning process together right now and trying to help one another. For example, I’ll have a group project and we’ll collaborate with a different group even though we’re working on different cases. We all are trying to help each other learn and understand the aspects of PR.
What has been your favorite class so far?
Intro to PR. I think it was exciting because it was my first experience with it. I had a wonderful professor and it was just very interesting to build on the skills that we’ve learned.
How accessible have your Public Relations professors been?
Extremely accessible. They are by their emails 24/7, and they are typically always at their office or classroom so they’re very easy to reach if you need help or have a question.
Why did you pick your major?
I went into Newhouse [School of Public Communications] undecided. We all have to take a class called Comm. 107 that gave you an overview of all the different majors you could possibly go into. My grandfather worked in public relations, so talking to him about it was inspiring and I ended up joining different groups, [specifically Edge which is a two-semester PR group. The first semester you learn about skills you need in Public Relations and then the second semester you work with a real client]. So, that was another big factor in choosing PR.

Reasons to Attend

1) The professors are wonderful. In whatever school you go to there are people either still working in or have worked in the field they’re teaching in, so they have contacts.
2) You will meet lifelong friends.
3) It’s an easy place for people to have fun. I’ve never met someone who doesn’t love Syracuse, or if they don’t love it it’s because it doesn’t cater to their major needs.
4) It has a nice mix of academics and nightlife. It’s not just studying all the time.

I personally can’t talk about Syracuse enough I just love it.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you don’t like the color orange.
2) If you are against partying and alcohol, that might be a turn off.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Flint Hall with one roommate.
Sophomore: On South Campus, which is sort of off-campus, in an apartment with one other roommate.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
It seemed very safe. I felt safe. They have the Blue Light System and they have public safety, so if you’re up late in the library and want an escort home someone can walk you home.
How was transitioning from Georgia to Syracuse, NY?
I’ve always been excited about exploring new places because I’ve been in Georgia my entire life. There really wasn’t a culture shock. My Mom has provided the opportunity for me to travel, so it wasn’t like going from the south to something completely new. I think the weather was the biggest shock.
What have been some of your favorite times at Syracuse?
One of the memorable things was having a nice group of friends even after a week. Back when we didn’t know what to do we would just hang out in someone’s room and explore and try to see new things within the city. Also, being from Georgia I’ve never experienced snow, so playing in the snow and having snow days was fun.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Pastabilities
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
We didn’t leave campus that much. If we did we went to Destiny Mall. We went to the zoo, which was very cool. Most of the time we were on campus and I loved being on campus.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
It’s definitely a party school. I think for a prospective student you can make it whatever you want it to be. In high school, I was not a huge partier, but Syracuse has definitely opened doors for me with that.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out?
Tuesdays are a big night for my friends and I and we go to DJ’s on the Hill. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday if I have a sorority mixer or party I’ll go to that, and then there are typically after hours which are at frats. I don’t go out every one of those nights, but those are the options available.
Can you describe a typical night going out freshman year?
We would typically [have a small party] in a dorm room, and then we would, either Uber or walk depending on the weather, to a bar or a frat. That’s very common for everyone, not just my friend group.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
I think once you’re in it it’s huge and you can’t really see beyond it. They only have spring semester rush, so first semester there were open houses at fraternities. I think first semester is more the semester for people to go to bars just because if a party’s not open, or if it’s not open until 12 or 12:30 you’re not going to sit in your room until then.
How happy are you with the nightlife at Syracuse? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I wish there could be more variety in terms of bars, but other than, that I think it is great.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I think even if you’re not involved in a sorority or fraternity you definitely have a lot of social opportunities with clubs and things like that. I think living in the dorms is also huge in that you’re meeting a bunch of people that are two doors down from you which is great. For me personally, it was nice being involved in Greek life just because you have a broader social outlet. We have parties and stuff like that with other fraternities so you meet some nice friends and obviously girl friends in your sorority.
How would you describe the social scene?
I find that people are often hanging around doing things. People work hard and people also play hard, not to sound cheesy. It’s huge, there’s a lot to do.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I would say very well, but you can definitely choose your groups. You can choose your friends based on that or not. It’s a nice happy medium. It’s not like all the Asian people are together or all Black people are together. It’s an inclusive school.
How would you describe the student body?
Syracuse pulls from the Northeast. It’s a party school, so a majority of the school likes to go out. The students are for the most part pretty affluent. I think there is something for everyone, and when I say everyone I mean that you could probably stick anyone at Syracuse and they could find something that they like.

Careers

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating have they been to your need?
We didn’t the first year and then we tried this year. It’s kind of a mixed story for most people, but [for me they were] not helpful whatsoever.